IndyCar a dim hope
V8 SUPERCARS says it is unlikely Surfers Paradise will see a return of the American IndyCar championship.
The United States openwheel championship hasn’t raced on the Gold Coast since 2008, bringing an end to an event that had been running since 1991.
In its absence the Gold Coast race has become the domain of V8 Supercars, who recently extended their deal with the Queensland Government for another three years.
IndyCar executives have been repeatedly quoted saying they are keen on an Australian return.
Australian IndyCar star Ryan Briscoe, racing alongside Russell Ingall at this weekend’s Gold Coast 600, has also told local media the championship is hoping to return to Surfers Paradise.
But several factors, including track length and dates, stand in the way of the Gold Coast event becoming a stop on the IndyCar calendar once again. V8 Supercars chief executive James Warburton has also indicated that while he is open to discussions, getting funding to bring IndyCars back to the Gold Coast would be unlikely.